Spector trial can air on TV, judge says
A Los Angeles judge ruled Friday that the murder trial of renowned music producer Phil Spector can be televised.
Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler said that the risk of spawning “Dancing Itos” or other media sideshows reminiscent of the O.J. Simpson case is offset by the public benefits of live broadcasts.
“I’m sure Judge Ito did not expect to turn on ‘The Tonight Show’ and see the Dancing Itos,” Fidler said, referring to a recurring television spoof of Judge Lance Ito, who presided over the 1995 Simpson trial. “I don’t worry about seeing the Flying Fidlers.”
The March 19 trial of Spector, who is accused of murdering actress Lana Clarkson at his Alhambra home in 2003, will be the first celebrity case televised in Los Angeles since Simpson was acquitted of charges he murdered his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. Spector has pleaded not guilty and has been out on $1-million bail since 2003.
Critics contended that television cameras in the Simpson case affected the courtroom behavior of witnesses, lawyers and Judge Ito. The daily broadcasts turned trial participants into popular culture figures, often unfavorably, souring many judges on the notion of televised trials, Fidler noted.
Roger Rosen, one of Spector’s lawyers, argued that “everybody behaves differently, acts differently” with cameras present. “A rainbow of problems develop.”
The prosecutor in the case, head Deputy Dist. Atty. Patrick Dixon, said it is the district attorney’s policy not to oppose cameras in the courtroom.
Fidler, however, said cameras would have several benefits, including dispelling the public’s preconception that Spector and other wealthy individuals get special treatment.
“I don’t think it does happen, but that is the public perception,” he said.
For that reason, he said, “it is extremely important to allow the public to observe the trial.”
Fidler also said that “it is unfair to treat one form of media different from another.”
“Public scrutiny is a good thing,” Fidler said.
Spector, the originator of the “wall of sound” recording technique who produced hits such as “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” and “Be My Baby,” was not present in the courtroom for the ruling, but he will attend the trial.
Fidler noted that Spector’s fame does not match that of Simpson at the time of his trial.
But the eccentric rock ‘n’ roll legend may well intrigue TV audiences. He has appeared in court with his hair wildly styled in a tumbleweed-like ball. One of Spector’s lawyers, Bruce Cutler, is well-known for his theatrical defenses of mob figures.
Fidler said that if the television coverage became a distraction, he would stop it. “I believe it could be a positive factor. If I see it is not, I will end it.”
Loyola Law School professor Laurie L. Levenson called Fidler’s decision “a sign judges are more confident they can control their courtrooms. We’re finally getting past the O.J. syndrome.”